Malta has filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union against new trucking rules that the government says will undermine the country’s competitiveness.
The new rules force trucking companies to provide a paid rest period of about 45 hours every three to four consecutive weeks, at “the employer’s facility or at the drivers’ residence.”
Trucks will also have to return to company headquarters every eight weeks, in a move aimed at preventing transport companies from trying to register in other EU countries to take advantage of lower taxes.
Maltese operators Atrens told the Times of Malta that the rules would cost the company between €500,000 and €1 million due to the need to buy more trucks and employ more people.
The government said in a statement on Saturday that the two specific rules were not part of the original proposals put forward by the European Commission but were only added at the end of the legislative procedure, despite objections from several member states, including Malta.
“These measures have therefore not been subjected to an appropriate impact assessment by EU institutions. A KPMG study commissioned by the government shows that these two rules are expected to have a negative impact on Malta, making road transport operations more expensive, mainly as a result,” the government said. “Malta’s geographical location also has a negative impact on the environment.”
Malta argues that the measures violate the provisions of the EU Treaty and distort the EU single market by including measures that disrupt road transport operations, increase costs for consumers and exports, and disproportionately and negatively affect Malta as a marginal member and island. state.
Malta therefore requests the Court of Justice to take these measures annually.
The government said other member states have also initiated repeal measures similar to these measures, or are in the process of doing so.
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